Kalmthout Heath

The Kalmthout Heath is one of the oldest and largest nature reserves of Flanders, bordering the Netherlands and part of the Dutch-Belgian cross-border park De Zoom – Kalmthoutse Heide. It used to be part of a vastly larger European heath landscape. Its name stems from its location: the Belgian municipality Kalmthout. It has been protected as a landscape since 1941, and officially became a state reserve in 1964 due to a petition of over 100,000 signatures. Because of the desiccation and dramatic reduction of biodiversity in "De Groote Meer" in Ossendrecht; in 2015, seven nature organisations advocated for buying lands of the agriculture enclave

The Steertse Heath" located on the Belgian territory of the Kalmthout Heath. "De Vroente" is a NME-centre of the Flemish Government located at the main entrance of the Kalmthout Heath, and is the main visitor centre for the cross-border park "De Zoom – Kalmthoutse Heide" which spans six thousand hectares. The centre also features nature exhibitions.